Rafael Nadal's exit from Roland Garros where he had ruled on all four of his previous participations, provided the French Open with its biggest shock of the open era and ranks alongside the most unexpected grand slam exits of all time.
As the King of Clay, winner of all 31 of his previous matches at the tournament, comes to terms with his defeat at the hands of Sweden's Robin Soderling, we look at 10 other illustrious grand slam champions coming to untimely grief in the world's four majors since the sport went professional.
1971 US Open - Newcombe
The popular John Newcombe was on a high after retaining his Wimbledon title - one of seven grand slams he captured during an excellent career - but he was brought down to earth with a bump in the opening round in New York by the artful Czech Jan Kodes.
1973 Aus Open - Rosewall
Ken Rosewall, who would have won far more than eight grand slams but for the presence in his golden era of the imperious Rod Laver, was going for a hat-trick of Australian Open titles when he fell at his first hurdle, beaten in straight sets by Germany's Karl Meller.
1986 US Open - McEnroe
The original Superbrat, John McEnroe, who won three Wimbledons, had triumphed four years out of six in his home major and was the beaten finalist in a seventh year before returning to be the victim of a first-round upset brought about by Paul Annacone in four sets.
1987 Wimbledon - Becker
"Boom Boom" Boris Becker blasted his way into the All England Club by becoming the tournament's youngest champion in 1985 and retaining it the following year. Confident hopes of a hat-trick by the powerfully-built German teenager were shattered by Australia's Peter Doohan in the second round.
1990 US Open - Lendl
The moody Czech-born player Ivan Lendl appeared in eight successive US Open finals, winning three of them, before coming up against an inspired American newcomer in Pete Sampras whose quarter-final victory that day was the launch pad for a record haul of 14 grand slams titles.
1993 US Open - Edberg
The handsome Swede Stefan Edberg, champion twice in Australia, then twice at Wimbledon and then twice in New York, could not have envisaged what lay in store as the defending champion at Flushing Meadows when Karel Novacek produced an inspirational performance to spring a second-round shock.
1999 US Open - Rafter
The flamboyant Patrick Rafter had taken the previous two titles at Flushing Meadows but was hampered by injury during what was a much more difficult first round match than he expected against France's Cedric Pioline and was forced to retire at the start of the deciding set.
2000 US Open - Agassi
Andre Agassi had appeared in all four grand slam finals, winning three of them in the 12 months preceding a return to his own back yard of Flushing Meadows. Nobody expected him to fall in straight sets in a second-round confrontation with the eccentric Frenchman Arnaud Clement.
2001 Wimbledon - Sampras
Only the Dutchman Richard Krajicek had managed to overcome Pete Sampras in eight successive tournaments on the lawns of the All England Club until a new kid on the block called Roger Federer sent the champion packing in a five-set thriller. The king is dead - long live the new king.
2002 French Open - Kuerten
Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil was a predecessor to Nadal as the King of Clay and was seeking his fourth Roland Garros crown when he was dethroned by Albert Costa, a Spaniard who had an even greater liking for the slowness of the red dust.
sports@thenational.ae
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
Isle of Dogs
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Liev Schreiber, Ed Norton, Greta Gerwig, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson
Three stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Company%20Profile
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Company%20profile
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The specs
Engine: 3.6 V6
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Power: 295bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: Dh155,000
On sale: now
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
BRAZIL SQUAD
Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
Company%20Profile
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Favourite book: ‘The Art of Learning’ by Josh Waitzkin
Favourite film: Marvel movies
Favourite parkour spot in Dubai: Residence towers in Jumeirah Beach Residence
Cracks in the Wall
Ben White, Pluto Press
The End of Loneliness
Benedict Wells
Translated from the German by Charlotte Collins
Sceptre
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
